Lando Norris left the qualifying session of the Belgian Grand Prix of Formula 1 with mixed feelings this Saturday. After securing the third-best time at Spa-Francorchamps, the McLaren driver regretted not being able to convert the result into an equivalent position on the starting grid due to the grid penalty he will have to serve.
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The Briton will lose ten positions for using power unit components beyond the allowed limit for the season. As a result, the one who had secured a place among the top three will start only from 13th position in Sunday’s race.
Despite the setback, Norris valued the performance shown by McLaren, which had been facing difficulties in recent stages. According to him, the improvement is not related to specific changes in the car, but to the characteristics of the Belgian circuit.
“We didn’t change much, we’re just a little faster on this track. It’s good to be here, but it’s not good to know that we will have to lose ten positions tomorrow,” he said.
Norris said he would like to directly compete for the top positions with his direct rivals, after the strong lap in the qualifying session: “It’s unfortunate that we won’t be starting from here tomorrow, because it would be good to have a battle with those guys. But we made the most of it, it was a very good qualifying and a very good lap from my side,” he said.
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The result represented only the second time all season that Norris managed to finish a qualifying session inside the top 3. The performance reinforces the sense of progress for McLaren at an important moment in the championship.
Additionally, Spa holds a special meaning for the Briton, who highlighted his family ties with Belgium. For him, racing in the country provides extra motivation throughout the weekend.
“I’ve been quite happy throughout the weekend. It’s almost a home race for me. So, that always brings extra incentive, and I’ve had a good performance so far,” he added.
Even starting further back than expected, Norris remains optimistic for the race: “I hope we can still have a good race and have fun,” concluded the McLaren driver, who will try to turn the pace shown at Spa into a recovery race on Sunday.
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